Sheathing for buildings



Dec; 30, 1947. w. J. HEINNING 2,433,694 I I SHEA'ITHING FOR BUILDINGsFiled Jan. 9, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.

" ATTORNEYS Dec. 30, 1947. w. J. HE INNING 2,433,694

' SHEATHING FOR BUILDINGS Filed Jan. 9, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 0 j Immvrog I B W ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 30, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE SHEATHING FOR BUILDINGS Walter J. Heinning, Buffalo, N. Y.

Application January 9, 1945, Serial No. 572,008

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a sheathing of sheet metal or other suitablematerial and more particularly to a structure of this character which isto be used as roofing or siding of a building.

It is the object of this invention to provide a sheathing for thispurpose which can be manufactured economically and applied to a buildingat low cost and which is strong and durable and efficient in coveringthe building and protecting the same against the effects of weather.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of an inclined building roofprovided with a sheathing embodying this invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section, on an enlarged scale, taken on line 3-3,Fig. 1.

Figs. 4 and 5 are longitudinal sections, taken on the correspondinglynumbered lines in Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a transverses'ection, taken on line 8-43, Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary longitudinal section, on an enlarged scale,taken on line ll, Fig. 2.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary section, on an enlarged scale, of a sheathingstrip taken lengthwise through one of its transverse ribs and showingthe shape of the same after the first step in its formation has beencompleted.

Fig. 9 is a similar view showing the shape of this transverse rib afterthe second step in its formation has been completed.

Fig. 10 is a similar view showing the shape of this transverse rib afterits upper end has been pressed downwardly into engagement with the loweredge of the next upper strip of sheathing for retaining the latter inplace.

In the followingdescription, similar reference characters indicate likeparts in the several views of the drawings.

Althou h the sheathing embodying this invention is applicable to variousparts of a building which are to be protected against weather, such asrain, wind and snow, the same in the drawings is applied to a roof baseor backing comprising inclined supporting boards Ill, a lower rail Harranged horizontally at the lower edge of the roof boards and a siderail l2 arranged along the transverse or substantially vertical edge ofthe roof boards.

In general, the sheathing which is constructed in accordance with thisinvention comprises a plurality of sheets or plates of metal I3, such asaluminum, copper or tin, or plastic material which preferably have theformof strips capable of being put up in rolls to facilitate storing andshipping of the same and also enable the same to be readily applied tothe roof boards. Each of these sheets is laid lengthwise on the roofboards and when a plurality of such sheets are assembled on theseboards, each of these sheets, excepting the lowermost and uppermost onthe supporting base H), has its lower part extending over the upper edgeof the next lower sheet while its upper edge extends underneath thelower part of the next upper sheet in the manner in which shingles arenow laid on a roof.

In the preferred construction, the lowermost sheet is provided at itslower edge with a downwardly turned flange l4 which is secured in anysuitable manner against the outer side of the lower roofing rail H, asshown in Figs. 1, 3 and 6,

and each of the sheets is also provided at, its transverse end edgeswith a downwardly turned flange 15 which may be secured in various waysto the outer side of the adjacent transverse rail l2 of the roof, asshown in Figs. 1, 4 and 5.

The new features which are embodied in these roofing sheets or plates inaccordance with the present invention are constructed as follows:

The numeral It represents a lower rib, corrugation or bead arrangedlengthwise on the upper side of each sheet adjacent to the lower edge ofthe same, and I1 is an upper rib or bead arranged lengthwise on theupper side of this sheet adjacent to the upper edge of the same, both ofthese ribs being relatively low and formed on the sheet by pressing,stamping or displacing the metal of the sheet upwardly from theunderside so that these rib project a moderate distance above the upperside of the main or body portions of the respective sheet. Each of theseribs is preferably of substantially A or inverted V-shape, in crosssection, and the upper and lower ribs l1 and I6 are arranged a suitabledistance from the upper and lower edgesv of the sheet on which they areformed.

When a p urality of such sheets of metal are applied to the base orboards of a roofing, the concave underside of the lower rib l6 of eachupper sheet engages over the convex upper side of the upper rib I! ofthe next lower sheet so that the respective sheets are interlocked andheld against transverse movement relatively to each other. These meansfor interlocking ,the overlapping parts of adjacent sheets not onlyprevents rain, wind and snow from driving upwardly between the same andreaching the base of the roof, but it also facilitates the laying ofsuccessive roofing sheets one above the other in the manner of shingleswith ease and facility and also maintain the same in alinement and inproperly spaced arrangement without requiring any special care toaccomplish this purpose.

Although various means may be employed for securing these roofing sheetsof metal to the base of the roof, it is preferable to employ nails l8for this purpose which extend through openings I 9 formed in alongitudinal row adjacent to the upper edge of each of the metal roofingsheets so that these fasting nails will be covered by the lower part ofthe roofing sheet immediately above the same. In order to permit thesheets of metal to expand and contract without tearing the holes I9which receive the nails l8, these holes are made larger in diameter thanthat of the body of the nails passing through the same, as shown inFigs. 1, 2 and 7, thereby providing clearance space between the edges ofthese openings and the body of the nails and permitting a limitedexpansion of the roofing sheets without causing any damage.

The longitudinal ribs on the metal sheathing sheets not only permit ofalining the several sheets on the roofing base and facilitate laying ofthe same as well as excluding the passage of weather therebetween, butthey also serve to stifien or strengthen the sheets so that they are notliable to be deformed while being handled and also while lying on theroof and they also improve the appearance of the roof as a whole.

In order to further increase the strength of these roofing sheets andalso give the same the appearance of longitudinal courses of shingles,as are now commonly laid on roofs, each of the roofing sheets of metalis provided with a plurality of relatively high transverse ribs or beads20 which are spaced equidistant from each other and each of whichextends from the lower edge of a roofing sheet upwardly across the lowerrib IS on the respective sheet and terminates at a point between thelower and upper ribs of this roofing sheet so that when several of thesesheets are assembled in a shingle-like position relative to each other,the upper ends of the several transverse ribs 20 will terminate adjacentto the lower edge of the next upper sheet, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and6. The upper edge of each lower sheet extends above the upper ends ofthe transverse ribs of the next upper sheet so that the underside ofthese ribs are closed throughout the entire length of the same, wherebyrain and wind are prevented from driving upwardly through the lower endof these hollow ribs and underneath the sheathing and possibly injuringthe roofing or covering. In order to prevent any rain, snow or windentering the lower ends of transverse ribs 28 of the lowermost sheathingstrip from getting between the underside of this strip and the roofingboards a protecting strip 24 of sheet metal is placed on the lower partof the roof boards as a starting sheet, this protecting strip preferablyextending from the lower edge of the lowermost sheathing strip is andterminating at its upper edge above the upper ends of the transverseribs 2!], thereby com pletely closing the underside of the latter, asshown in F gs. 3 and 6.

Each of the transverse ribs 28 is preferably of substantially A orinverted V-shape, in cross section, and stamped or bent upwardly fromthe underside of the respective roofing sheet so as to proje t above theupper surface of the same, similar to the longitudinal ribs IE and H.The height of the transverse ribs 29 of each roofing sheet is somewhatgreater than the height of the longitudinal ribs [6 and I! so that inaddition to stiffening or strengthening the roofing sheet, the same alsosimulates the appearance of individual shingles which are laid inhorizontal courses. The upper part of each transverse rib 2G is alsotapered or pointed upwardly, as shown at 2|, so that rain will bedirected downwardly along opposite sides of the same and the tendencyfor snow to lodge on the upper ends of these ribs is also reduced to aminimum.

By making the transverse ribs 20 comparatively high and the longitudinalribs [6 and I1 relatively low, the roofing sheet is materiallystrengthened and still can be put up in rolls for convenience instorage, transportation and laying.

Means are provided whereby the lower edges of the several roofingsheets, excepting the lowermost one, are prevented from being lifted bywind from the underlying parts of adjacent sheets and thus exclude thepassage of weather between the same as well as preventing the sheetsfrom vibrating and producing a chattering noise. The means shown in thedrawings for this purpose which embody the present invention areconstructed as follows:

The numeral 22 represents a plurality of fastening lips which arearranged in a longitudinal row on the upper side of each roofing sheetbelow the upper rib ll thereof and at such a distance therefrom so thatwhen these lips are engaged by the lower edge of the next upper roofingsheet 53, as shown in Figs. 3 and 6, these lips operate as stops forlocating each upper roofing sheet relative to the companion lower sheetpreparatory to completing the assemblage of the same on the base orboards of a roof.

Each of these lips is preferably formed on the upper end of one of thetransverse ribs 20 by first stamping the upper end of each rib 20upwardly at right angles to the plane of the sheet 93 of which it formsa part, and thereby produce an upwardly facing stop shoulder 30 on thisrib, as shown in Fig. 8. Thereafter the upper part of each rib 2| abovethe stop shoulder 30 thereon is swaged upwardly so as to produce ahollow lip 22 which projects upwardly from this rib and overhangs theshoulder 36 therein. as shown in Fig. 9. While the lip is in thispreformed shape, the next upper roofing sheet is laid with its lowerpart over the companion lower roofing sheet so that the longitudinalribs l6 and I! of the same engage one another and the lower edge of theupper sheet engages with the stop shoulder 23 on the lower sheet, asshown in Fig. 9. After the parts have been thus partly assembled, thelip 22 is pressed downwardly by means of a hammer or otherwise so thatthe same overhangs the lower edge portion of the next upper roofingsheet and engages firmly therewith, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 10,thereby securing the lower edge portion of the upper roofing sheet downon the upper edge of the next lower roofing sheet. The overlapping partsof the roofing sheet are thus prevented from becoming separated by windso as to exclude the entrance of weather between the same.

As a whole, this sheathing can be manufactured and applied at arelatively low cost. It forms a durable and eifective protection forbuildings, and it also presents an attractive and finished appearance.

I claim as my invention:

A sheathing for buildings comprising a plurality of deformablelongitudinal metal sheets which are arranged to form a plurality ofhorizontal courses disposed one above another in a vertical row, each ofsaid sheets being provided at intervals with transverse ribs extendingacross that portion of the sheets which ar exposed and which are formedby displacing the metal of the sheet upwardly so that the hollowunderside of each rib opens downwardly and its upper side is closed, andhollow deformable lips formed integrally on the upper ends of said ribs,each of said lips overhanging the lower part of the next upper sheet andproviding a, rear stop shoulder which is engaged by the lower edge ofthe next upper sheet and a hollow tip which overhangs the lower part ofthe next upper sheet and is bent downwardly int engagement therewith toprevent relative vertical movement of the adjacent upper and lower partsof the respective sheets.

WALTER J. HEINNING.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 16,614 Ross Feb. 10, 18572,129,833 Fradette Sept. 13, 1938 2,178,357 Hoess Oct. 31, 19392,219,450 Koenig Oct. 29, 1940 2,269,872 Gaston Jan. 13, 1942

